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Leonard Ncube
Victoria Falls Reporter
A ZIMBABWEAN businessman based in the diaspora, Mr Takudzva Mutepfa, has invested US$1 million for the construction of a high-end cultural village in Lubangwe, Hwange District in Matabeleland North, as part of efforts to complement the Government in promoting rural tourism through culture.
In August 2020, President Mnangagwa launched the National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy to reboot the tourism sector following the devastating impact of the travel and quarantine restrictions generated by Covid-19 on the global tourism and hospitality industry.
Statistics show the recovery has been good as travel and tourism rebounded, but the other half of the strategy, to grow not just recover, is now considered the more crucial.
This plan hinges on the country’s vision to be an international tourist destination of choice, pivoting on prudent and sustainable use of its natural heritage, comprising culture, wildlife and spectacular scenery.
The strategy is also informed by the Government’s Vision 2030 to become an upper middle-income economy characterised by increased investment, decent jobs and populace free from poverty and corruption. Tourism is labour intensive, so generating a lot of jobs, and a growing number of these jobs can be at the higher end if all niche markets are served.
The high growth target of this strategy, which seeks to achieve a US$5 billion tourism economy by year 2025 is ambitious, yet achievable.
The cultural village, the first of its kind in Zimbabwe, will be a centre for showcasing traditional and historic structures for all communities and languages under one roof.
Mr Mutepfa started constructing Lanyula Cultural Village six years ago and expects to have completed all structures by the middle of next year. At the moment, most structures have been completed with final touches being done on the facility.
Upon completion, the cultural village will have six chalets for accommodation, a sky view lodge, a central pavilion and kitchen while a 150 metres by 50 metres dam has been dug to supply water to wildlife.
Lubangwe is on the edge of Hwange National Park, making the cultural village an ideal place for game viewing and game drives. The village is set to become a melting pot for all cultures and languages in Zimbabwe. The name of the village “Lanyula” means “sunset” in Nambya.
Mr Mutepfa said the idea behind the cultural village is to ensure that local people become key stakeholders and benefit from the resources around them as well as promoting village and domestic tourism.
“The hidden goal is to knit together the cultural fabrics towards a united Zimbabwe. The investment is in line with the Second Republic’s rural industrialisation agenda where the Government hopes to capacitate rural areas with various industries to stem rural to urban migration, which saps growth from the African countryside, transferring it to towns and cities,” he said.
Rural industrialisation hinges on the Second Republic’s devolution policy and involves nurturing opportunities in rural areas through financial and technological support via joint venture capital funding and Government agencies.
President Mnangagwa has declared that under the Second Republic, Government will drive rural industrialisation, which will see industrial activity being launched in rural areas based on factor endowments in each rural space.
The Government has already laid the preparatory groundwork for the transformation through, among many other things, establishing tertiary institutions, including vocational training centres in rural areas.
Besides promoting tourism, there will be employment creation and improvement of livelihoods for locals in line with Vision 2030.
“We are the ones who can make our country big and better and Zimbabwe needs us. We have acquired vast knowledge outside the country and there is ample land at home, which is what triggered me to invest back home in Hwange, Matabeleland North,” said Mr Mutepfa.
After scouting for the best place around the country, he settled for Lubangwe, which is halfway between Victoria Falls and Hwange due to its proximity to Hwange National Park.
“I felt there was a need to create harmony between wildlife and communities through investments that empower people so that they take ownership of the environment. Poaching and environmental degradation is limited when communities benefit from their own resources,” said Mr Mutepfa.
“I said to myself, let me create something that can be a magnet for rural communities and create jobs. We want to sell and demonstrate the idea to Government that is possible so that rural communities can become stakeholders in the bigger economy.”
He used local resources close to the village with the huge benefit for locals being the skills transfer, which is key in transforming rural communities.
“I have been running a nursing business in the United Kingdom and I channelled a large chunk of that money towards the project whose value after value addition is US$1 million. In terms of the land, it is an A1, which was initially allocated to someone else who could not develop it hence I took over,” he said.
Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister recently visited the centre to get an appreciation of how it will change the face of Lubangwe community as well as positively impact and empower youth to get a better understanding of their rich cultural heritage.
He said the cultural village will have positive impact on the socio-cultural well-being of the community and also help reflect on Ubuntu.
“Matabeleland North is a rainbow province with a diverse cultures and rich heritage, which should be preserved through the development of such villages. This facility will therefore empower communities and generate employment for local villagers,” said Minister Moyo.
“I am reliably informed that these structures were built by women. This is a step in the right direction since women play a pivotal role in upholding our values as a nation.”
Minister Moyo said rural development and empowerment is critical and remains a priority for the Government.
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